They won't take our advice, but they'll still take our money: Despite an absence of diplomatic relations between the countries, Americans can still travel to North Korea, so long as you go when they want you to go, and with whom.

Visiting North Korea is allowed only during the annual Mass Games involving thousands of North Koreans performing complicated choreography and moving into intricate patterns like a college marching band on steroids. The games are normally held August through October, during which Westerners can travel with a tour group—since the government will assign you an escort to make sure you only see the North Korea they want you to see. Now is the time to start planning and booking those trips.]]> egw 2009-11-17T13:29:29-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/20/131824/55

Wilderness experts teach campers to leave a place better than they found it. A tour group responsible for more than half of all Westerners visiting North Korea has taken that sentiment to heart, asking travelers to donate to help children in the impoverished, often aid-rejecting country.

Koryo co-founders Josh Green and Nicholas Bonner, both Brits, came up with the idea for the company when Green was working for a shipping company in Pyongyang in the early '90s. Using his connections, they were able to connect with the Korea International Travel Company, an official government agency that ushers foreigners in and out of the DPRK, and now contribute to the Pyongyang International Film Festival and produce documentaries as well as leading tours. ]]> egw 2009-10-20T14:28:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/18/222358/371

Who's game for a nice little package trip to North Korea? Anyone? Bueller?

It was announced yesterday that Kim Jong-il is feeling a little neighborly lately and less bomby, and wants to restart family reunion trips from South Korea. Although South Korea hasn't yet said yes to allowing their people to venture over the border, North Korea is re-opening an enclave for reunions at Mount Kumgang, which was once a major money generator for the poor country. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-08-19T08:49:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/4/163421/4784

Thinking about heading to North Korea for the Arirang Mass Games? You better hope that former President Bill Clinton has got your back, just like he has with the two Current TV journalists who were arrested on the North Korean border in March and sentenced to 12 years in a hard labor camp for "committing hostilities against the Korean nation and illegal entry.”

During Clinton's brief visit, which focused solely on negotiating the freedom of the women—Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36—and not North Korea's recent nuclear tests, he met with good old Kim Jong-il, who wasn't looking all that ill. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-08-04T16:59:29-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/21/154839/474

While other notoriously closed societies have cracked open their doors a bit to tourism, North Korea still remains highly suspicious of foreigners. Two American reporters from scrappy San Francisco-based Current TV are being held in North Korea, having been nabbed by guards as they filmed the country from the Chinese/North Korean border. The reporters, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were working on a story about North Korean refugees when they were taken into custody for "illegally intruding" into the Stalinist dictatorship on Tuesday.

While it's not clear whether they actually did cross the border or remained on the Chinese side, the incident has provoked a minor crisis, with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton doing a whole bunch of diplomacy on the matter.

It would be difficult to make relations between North Korea and the rest of the world any more strained. Kim Jong Il's hermit kingdom only allows a trickle of foreign tourists to visit, and they're required to surrender their cell phones upon entry and travel only to approved sites with a government minder. I'm game for traveling almost anywhere, but North Korea seems like one of the bleaker destinations in the world, if Guy Delisle's excellent comic Pyongyang is to be believed.

Here's hoping the reporters are released unharmed, and that North Korea begins to engage the rest of the world a bit more. I know that the latter is a long shot, but today is the first full day of spring and I can't help but feel optimistic.

[Photo: AP/Boston.com]

Related Stories:
· Detained Reporters Drawn to NKorea Refugee Story [Associated Press]
· US Awaiting NKorean Reply on Detained Reporters [AP/mercurynews.com]
· Pyongyang by Guy Delisle [Official Site]
· Current TV [Official Site]
· North Korean Travel [Jaunted]]]> Victor Ozols 2009-03-21T15:48:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/29/10308/8599

Despite what the South Park guys identified as chronic "roneriness", Kim Jong Il's health is just fine, thankyouverymuch. At least that's what the Dear Leader's propaganda machine is insisting. Stroke? Don't even suggest it. Seriously. They'll arrest you.

This past week, an envoy of journalists were given a controlled, guided tour illustrating the country's booming economy and happy populace, of course. This is how an Asia Times reporter recounted his trip to Pyongyang:]]> ced138 2008-09-30T09:45:36-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/20/104526/437

We already reported that the Gumball 3000 rally stopped by the Arirang Mass Games in North Korea, but video of the adventure just leaked out on YouTube.

Think Beijing's Bird's Nest is big, with its seating for 91,000? Try the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, where 150,000 spectators watch 100,000 performers during the Mass Games.

The full video is a little long, but just seeing Bam Margera's baffled face as he negotiates the closed country makes it worth watching!]]> pbb 2008-08-20T11:00:13-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/